Synopsis

An African American mother, her teenage son, and their expecting Filipina tenant form an unorthodox family over quiet moments in a shared kitchen.

Director's Biography

Kieu-Anh is from Saigon, Viet Nam and has spent several years in the U.S pursuing filmmaking.

Her films center on the notions of home and family. Her short films, An American Family and Distant Interiors, are observations on different family dynamics and subtle nuances of cohabitation. Both films also show a keen interest in creating cinematic interiors where mini family-narratives unfold. Her other short films include A Study of Red (2016), 1-mile Words (2016) and Two Daughters (2014). She also did video works for non-profit organizations such as the International Rescue Committee and Asia Society.

Director's Statement

Different people go home to the same place, exchange stories of "How was your day?", talk, make jokes, share food, and just like that, the house becomes the home, and strangers become family. Sort of, anyways. Living as a tenant in different households for the last few years, these observations constitute my daily reality, hope, and longing.

Making An American Family is an inevitable and immediate challenge. An American Family continues my fascination in distilled moments of daily lives and the complexity of different family dynamics. The kitchen, often a communal space, contains many private moments and buried feelings. Through various kitchen scenes, the film observes subtle gradation of cohabitation and human’s relationships. Although it's a very personal story, I hope this film will reach out to a big audience. As our lives and societies are in constant flux, how often do we share a kitchen with strangers?